Electroactive agglomerated particles

Abstract

Provided herein are electroactive agglomerated particles, which comprise nanoparticles of a first electroactive material and nanoparticles of a second electroactive materials, and processes of preparation thereof.

1 . Electroactive agglomerated particles comprising nanoparticles of a first electroactive material and nanoparticles of a second electroactive material, wherein the agglomerated particles have an average particle size ranging from about 0.1 μm to about 100 μm. 
     
     
         2 . The agglomerated particles of  claim 1 , wherein the first electroactive material is LiMPO 4 , wherein M is a transition metal selected from the group consisting of Ti, V, Cr, Mn, Fe, Co, and Ni. 
     
     
         3 . The agglomerated particles of  claim 1 , wherein the first electroactive material is selected from the group consisting of LiFePO 4 , LiMnPO 4 , LiVPO 4 , and mixtures thereof. 
     
     
         4 . The agglomerated particles of  claim 1 , wherein the first electroactive material is AM a   1−x M b   x PO 4 , wherein A is Li, Na, or a mixture thereof; M a  is Fe, Co, Mn, or a mixture thereof; M b  is Mg, Ca, Zn, Ni, Co, Cu, Al, B, Cr, Nb, or a mixture thereof; and x is from about 0.01 to about 0.30. 
     
     
         5 . The agglomerated particles of  claim 1 , wherein the second electroactive material is a metal oxide selected from the group consisting of LiCoO 2 , LiNiCoO 2 , Li(NiMnCo) 1/3 O 2 , Li(NiMn) 1/2 O 2 , LiNi x Co 1−x O 2 , and LiV 2 O 5 . 
     
     
         6 . The agglomerated particles of  claim 1 , comprising from about 30 to about 95% by weight of the nanoparticles of the first electroactive material and from about 70 to about 5% by weight of the nanoparticles of the second electroactive material. 
     
     
         7 . The agglomerated particles of  claim 1 , wherein the nanoparticles of the first electroactive material have an average particle size ranging from about 1 to about 500 nm. 
     
     
         8 . The agglomerated particles of  claim 1 , wherein the nanoparticles of the second electroactive material have an average particle size ranging from about 1 to about 500 nm. 
     
     
         9 . The agglomerated particles of  claim 1  further comprising one or more additives. 
     
     
         10 . The agglomerated particles of  claim 9 , wherein the additive is carbon. 
     
     
         11 . The agglomerated particles of  claim 1 , further comprising a metal or metal oxide. 
     
     
         12 . The agglomerated particles of  claim 11 , wherein the metal is Al, Ti, or Cr. 
     
     
         13 . The agglomerates particles of  claim 1 , further one or more binders. 
     
     
         14 . The agglomerates of  claim 13 , wherein the binder is selected from the group consisting of coal tar, solid ionic conductor, asphalt pitch, a polymeric binder, and mixtures thereof. 
     
     
         15 . The agglomerates of  claim 14 , wherein the polymer binder is selected from the group consisting of polytetrafluoroethylene, carboxymethyl cellulose, polyvinylidene fluoride, polyvinyl alcohol, and styrene butadiene rubber. 
     
     
         16 . The agglomerates of  claim 13 , wherein the binder is selected from the group consisting of a mixture of lithium nitride and lithium phosphate; a mixture of lithium phosphorus oxynitride and lithium phosphate; Li 1+x+y(Al, Ga)   x (Ti, Ge) 2−x Si y P 3−y O 12 , where 0≦x≦1 and 0≦y≦1; Li x Si y M z O v N w , where 0.3≦x≦0.46, 0.05≦y≦0.15, 0.016≦z≦0.05, 0.42≦v≦0.05, 0≦w≦0.029, and M is selected from the group consisting of Nb, Ta, and W. 
     
     
         17 . The agglomerates of  claim 13 , comprising from about 30 to about 95% by weight of the nanoparticles of the first electroactive material, from about 70 to about 5% by weight of the nanoparticles of the second electroactive material, and from about 0.1 to about 5% by weight of the binders. 
     
     
         18 . Embedded agglomerated particles comprising a first electroactive material and one or more types of nanoparticles of electroactive materials that are different from the first electroactive material, wherein the nanoparticles are embedded in the particle of the first electroactive material.